When I Wasn't There For You
by Fae 206
Summary: Just before Erica and Jack's fifth birthday, Monica and Chandler take them to a theme park. Expecting a fun-filled day, the couple finds themselves at the scene of a shooting from a former employee. When Chandler tries to save Jack, he finds himself one of the victims. However, is he able to hang onto his life and how will the world change around him after he's shot?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Believe it or not, I used to write a lot of F*R*I*E*N*D*S fics when I was a preteen and the show was in its fourth or fifth season. I haven't really written anything since the end of the sixth season so this feels for new territory for me. So thank you for allowing me to express myself.

….

**When I Wasn't There For You**

**Chapter One**

….

Being a parent was hard. It was difficult, it had many challenges, and it had so much joy that the Geller-Bing family was finally happy and complete. After so much difficulty in the beginning, the family was able to be close-knit with Chandler doing something which he loved in advertising, and Monica being praised as one of the top chefs in the country. Monica had even been approached about franchising and even though she had opened a few other locations in New York, she didn't want to have anyone else overseeing her businesses.

Sometimes that made her extremely busy but at the same time, all of the other parents knew her as being the one who prepared the best snacks and were jealous of her recipes.

Erica was beautiful. People would often stop and gaze upon her in wonder. She was like a little angel, obviously adopted, but still she had gained her father's clumsy adorable nature and her mother's strong smile.

Jack was a little bit more reserved. Although he loved his father's jokes, he acted a little bit more like his uncle. He also had his mother's drive for perfectionism even at such a young age. He was quiet but loved being athletic and playing games with his goofy dad and his impressive mother. In fact, whilst Erica loved spending time with her dad, Jack was definitely a mama's boy.

Since Monica finally had some time off work and Chandler had turned in the projects for the firm early, they had decided to treat the kids to a weekend at Disneyworld. Having heard about the trip, Ross had decided to come too with Rachel and Emma. They both had successfully climbed the ladder yet again in their work and indulged in shopping, decorating their house – located somewhat close to Monica's and Chandler's – with extravagant pieces. Rachel was currently pregnant again and suffering from morning sickness that was drawn from more than the occasional smell of pickles.

"You know," Chandler sighed, "They really should allow a person to wear moon boots when going on these rides. I mean, when I was a kid, my parents wouldn't have cared if I was under the height limit," he saw Monica give him a warning glance. "I mean, they wouldn't. My father would have distracted them."

"I thought that you were good with your father now," Ross commented and Chandler sighed, he shook his head and didn't respond to that. There were a lot of bridges which hadn't been broken.

"Do you hear yourself?" Monica asked him, "There are plenty of rides and if they're not safe for _our_ kids then they are not going to ride them. You're welcome to go on all the rides you want, by yourself."

"Rides alone or spending time with my family," Chandler said, "Think the term family vacation is truly telling of the choice that I should make. I mean, if I had a family of trapeze artists, I'm sure that -"

"Don't finish that thought," Monica told him as she lifted a finger at him and gave him a slight warning. She felt Erica tugging at her hand and saw that Emma had her hand on her younger cousin's shoulder. "Sweetie?" she asked, showing so much love for her child. Chandler saw Jack looking around curiously and took the opportunity to lift him up in his arms, the little boy resting his head on his dad's shoulder.

"There's a princess over there, can we get a photograph?" Emma asked, her smile widening.

"Of course," Monica beamed at them and then turned to Jack. "Honey, do you want a photo too?" she asked and Jack nodded, his arms around his dad's neck. "Then let's go," she gestured to the line and Emma excitedly pulled Erica over.

"You know," Ross chuckled as he joined them, "It's amazing the type of work that they have to go through. All the signatures have to be exactly the same. I mean, there's penmanship classes and everything. They all have to follow the same script and it's just…it's impressive all the behind the scenes work that goes in….to taking photographs," he stopped as he saw everyone staring at him.

"Well of course they do, they want to make sure that they treat all their friends the same," Rachel replied with a kiss to Ross's cheek. "I mean. Would you want to get such a beautiful dress dirty or have sloppy penmanship? They wouldn't be much of a princess if they did that."

"I guess they cut _those_ scenes out of the movie to stop kids from falling asleep," Chandler commented, "You don't really see too many characters alone for training. I mean, singing, yes, but calligraphy…forget it. Things just magically appear," he laughed as everyone stared at him.

Monica gazed down at the two girls happily. She really did love being with her family. Her son and daughter meant everything to her and she was happy that she had found a man who appreciated and supported his family as well. Even if he was the most quirky man she had ever met, she found that cute. All of her friends were weird to a certain extent but apart from Phoebe, Chandler fit that profile well.

After they had their photograph taken and they were getting ready to set off again, Jack started running away from the group. Monica immediately chased him, putting her hand on his shoulder and saw his interest in the Mickey who was walking right by them. She put her arms around him. "Honey, this is such a big place. Don't go running off like that, okay?" she asked and Jack continued to stare after the giant mouse. Monica kissed the top of his head. She needed to make sure her kids were safe and she would use everything in her power to protect them.

…

…

Rachel looked to Emma with a smile as she saw that her daughter had put a little bit of salad and some vegetables on her plate. Emma was considered intelligent by most, it was really her father's influence that led to her interest in history and science whilst still loving to play dress up. She had a good relationship with her half-brother as well. Rachel was truly proud of her and loved to show her off. Her own daughter, a daughter who she had given birth to and cared for since she was an infant.

"You know, I think pizza is a great dish for any meal," Chandler commented as he saw the three slices that Erica had on her plate.

"I think that eating healthy vegetable is also important," Monica told them and smiled as Chandler wrapped his arm around her lovingly. "Erica, I've told you this," she smiled to her daughter. She could never stay angry at either of her children.

"I know," Erica said and Monica shook her head, "Honey," she turned to Chandler. "You want to go with them to get some from the buffet."

"Because you think that I could be healthier too?" he asked before standing up and took each child by the hand. "Let's go, guys. Proper food is always very important even when on vacation."

As Chandler took them over to the salad bar, he wasn't aware of the former employee who was holding a gun. His attention was completely focused on Erica who nearly touched a hot plate. He pulled her back, letting his attention focus on her so that she didn't burn herself. He would get it for her but he knew that there were many dangers for young children. As he held her around her waist, he let go of Jack's hand.

"Careful, we don't touch these, okay?" he reminded her before the sound of yelling filled his ears and he turned to see a man with a gun pointed at a cast member's head. He also saw his son walking towards the commotion, interested in the character. His eyes widened and he saw the man point the gun at Jack. This couldn't be happening. It appeared that his body was frozen. How did his son wind up in the middle of all of this? What was the best way of protecting him?

"Sweetheart, go to Mommy, okay?" Chandler whispered as he put Erica down and went to where Jack was. He punched the guy who was holding the gun in the jaw. Grabbing Jack back. As his attention turned to his son though, he could hear the sound of the gun and feel something cold and wet before silence.

Was he dead?

**End of Chapter One**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**AUTHOR NOTE: **Because of my schedule, it's very unlikely that I'll be able to give an update of this before next year so thank you for your patience if you are interested in this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Thank you for returning to this fic. I hope you enjoy this second chapter.

Also, funny thing, my mother and I were watching the new 'Little Women' movie and halfway through the movie, I'm like, is this the part where we put the book in the freezer? 😉

**Chapter Two**

How was something like this supposed to have happened!?

They had been at the happiest place on Earth and then there had be a violent criminal, an unhappy employee, and then a gun shot, blood, ambulances, and her husband, her best friend was said to possibly be dead. No. He was dying. He had been injured near his brain, in his brain. Monica couldn't let the facts settle enough in her head to make sense of what had just occurred. She had been happily enjoying her family time with her kids and husband and now she was in a hospital in Florida.

She didn't want to call anyone. She didn't want to think about other things than Chandler but she was never good at that. She was concerned about what might happen if he died, would they be earning enough from the restaurants to still provide Erica and Jack with the lives they wanted, would she be emotionally ready to go back to work, Chandler would want his mother and…father at his funeral right? Would it be a cremation or a burial?

She hated the way that she kept pushing her hand through her hair and messing it up. She had already made a mess of her face from so much crying and sobbing. She had broken and she hated that idea of not being strong and in control. She was always able to be strong and in control. As she sat in the waiting room, she heard footsteps coming in her direction.

"Chan-" she began but shook her head. No. It would be impossible for him to just be walking out of here. He was shot in his head but he was alive. They had told her that much. She looked up through blurry eyes and then saw her brother standing in front of her She stood up and walked over to him, she broke down into his chest finally showing her pain.

"Mon?" Ross asked before he pulled her closer. Ross's expression showed that he was in shock and panic and perhaps a little grief too. Dr. Ross Geller was intelligent enough to know the consequences of such an assault. "Have they given you any news?"

"They got him a blood transfusion," she said after taking a few deep breaths. "They operated on him, got the bullet out or something…a fragment of the bullet…I don't know," she said as she finally gave up. She felt her legs giving out on her but Ross managed to get her to a seat. He was devastated. One of his closest friends had been shot trying to protect their son, his nephew. Chandler had always wanted to be a great dad, he had shown that he had managed that with how he had protected Jack. He only had to wake up.

"Have they done any scans of his head? Do they know if it's a surface injury or did it…" Ross stopped as he said that. He didn't want to think about the possible repercussions of his friend's injury. He could have been damaged mentally by the injury or developed some kind of learning difficulties or memory difficulties. There were so many possibilities on a neurological or psychological level.

Monica stared at her brother. She wiped the tears away, "Ross, what are you talking about?"

"You didn't think about it? You thought about it, you must have thought about it," he said before seeing Monica's realization. She looked ahead of her. She had only been focusing on him surviving. She had only thought about what would happen if he lived or died but now she was reminded that there were other possibilities. Disabilities. Memory Loss. Health complications. There was now a much greater chance that when he awoke, because in Monica's mind she didn't want to even say there was a chance that it was an 'if'. No, when he awoke, he might not be the same lovable, joke-cracking, person he had been. He might be only a shell of himself.

"You know," Ross sighed, "I think it was his joke."

Monica sighed and rolled her eyes, she knew that Ross was just saying that to try to distract her and cheer her up a little and it was working. She squeezed his hand again before letting her head rest on her big brother's shoulder. "Have you called anyone yet? We should…probably do that."

"We wanted to," Ross told her before looking away. He knew that Phoebe and Joey and even Mike would feel hurt to learn this on the news, especially Joey, but he hadn't wanted to do anything without Monica saying to. She always had things in order. She always knew what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it. "We haven't…well…"

"You called someone?" Monica tried to wipe the fresh tears from her eyes, "Please tell me it was Joey. This is going to hurt him. I've always wondered who has the better relationship with Chandler," she laughed and Ross shook his head.

"I called Mom," he said and Monica nodded. Of course he did. "She wants to do something for you. I said that I'd let her know. I don't know whether you want to see her."

Monica took a slow breath in before looking up at the clock, she wanted to make sure that Joey heard it from one of them. She at least owed her friends that much. They shouldn't have to learn about this from a TV news report. "Could you do something for me?" Monica asked slowly and Ross put a hand on her back trying to comfort her.

"Of course, yeah, anything," he assured her.

"Can you call his mother?" Monica asked, "I don't think I could handle Nora's reaction," she said and Ross nodded hesitantly. He didn't want to hear it too but he wasn't just Chandler's brother in law, he was one of his best friends, his old college friend. They had such a strong history together. Monica looked at the clock. "Actually, I'll be right back. Can you make sure to wait here for any news?"

"I'll wait," Ross assured her. He really hoped that everything was going to be okay. Chandler mattered to him, there would be so much loss in all of their lives if he didn't make it through this.

MGCBMGCB

As he had gotten older, Joey had decided to follow the route that his friends were down and try to have more lasting relationships with women. It wasn't that he had been completely opposed to the idea all of his life but he had found it easier to chase girls. He had realized that there was a difference to someone in their mid-twenties doing that and someone in their mid-thirties. Unfortunately, he had just broken up with the girl that he had been seeing for two years. A fellow actor and a great…kisser who he had even offered to share food with. If that wasn't the mark of a good relationship with Joseph Tribiani, than what could be?

In fact, it was because of this that he hadn't gone down to Florida. He had let the Gellers and the Bings have their family vacations and Chandler promised him a souvenir that would be as good as the one Joey had brought him back from Tokyo where he had filmed a few months back. That was the friendship between them. Maybe they weren't bracelets bonding them together but it was the knowledge that they could rely on each other like proper brothers.

Joey placed the pizzas down as he went into his apartment and grabbed the remote for the TV. There was that dancing show with the cute girl that he could watch and hopefully that would distract him. He sat down in front of the TV and watched it. The girl was definitely shaking her hips as she danced in a Latin style. He reached forwards, dropping the remote and it turned to a commercial on another channel. He was about to turn the channel back when he froze.

"When a family vacation becomes a time of pure terror. That will be our story later tonight where we cover the loss of this family at Disneyworld and the reasons the gunman had for being there in the first place."

Joey stared at the screen, looking at the report. Gunman? There was a shooting, the same day that his friends went to the park. Hopefully they hadn't been part of it. Maybe they weren't even in the area when it happened and the kids had been shielded from the information. Joey couldn't see either of his male friends stepping in and trying to be the big hero like some other guys might have. No. They had to be okay. It was just a coincidence, bad timing.

Still, he couldn't change the channel now. Not without hearing more information about what might be going on. As he sat through the commercials, still feeling uneasy and having cold chills through his body, Joey finally listened to the news.

"So, in a tragic series of events there have been two men who have died at Disney World today. The first is the killer, Raymond Ye, a man that worked in one of the restaurants, he was said to have been on drugs at the time and rather unstable. Second, is Mr. Chandler M. Bing, worked in advertising here in New York City and a father and husband to -"

Joey took a deep breath in. He couldn't have heard that correctly. He froze as a recent picture of Chandler from the advertising firm's website appeared on the screen. This wasn't making sense to him. He wasn't able to connect the words. Chandler was dead. His best friend was dead. No. No. No. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

Joey looked down at the pizza that was on his lap before standing up and putting it on the counter, he didn't feel like eating. He felt like he wanted to turn back time, but the TV in the freezer, convince them that Chandler was still alive. Still, that wasn't the way the world worked and he felt the pain of losing his brother, his BFF. Joey immediately grabbed Hugsy and sat down again, the news story had gone onto something else but he just squeezed Hugsy close. This was destroying him. He wanted somebody to wake him up and he would be somewhere where the death of his best friend wasn't spinning around in his mind.

He almost didn't pick up the phone as it rang. It wouldn't be from him. However, as he saw Monica's name light up he understood he had to take this despite the tears in his eyes. "Hello," he said in a pained manner.

"He's alive," Monica said and heard Joey sob with relief. "I mean, for right now. Did you hear about it?"

"News show," Joey admitted before taking deep breaths to steady himself. "You're right though, you're not kidding. He's alive? Like, he's really alive?"

"I'm at the hospital. He's already had a blood transfusion and has gone into surgery. They've been able to keep him alive but he's in critical condition," she said and Joey still sobbed with relief but there was still fear there. "They are not sure if he's going to -"

"Which hospital?" Joey asked, cutting her off.

"I really don't know if there's anything that you can- d-" Monica said as she tried hard not to cry as well but Joey continued to hold the phone close with one hand and with his other arm around Hugsy.

"Mon, what hospital?" he asked and then smiled weakly as Monica gave him the name of the hospital and where it was located. "I'm really sorry this happened, please know that you're in my heart, all of you. I'll be there as soon as I can." He stood up. As drained as he felt, he needed to be there.

These guys were his family and he always knew that if anything happened to them he would be there for them. He might have had some great moments with Rachel and Phoebe over the years but Chandler, to Joey, Chandler, his non-biological brother, had always been the most special.

**End of Chapter Two**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**I'm actually looking at reviews these days to see what to update next so please review if you do want to see update. This is one of three ways but the others are more personal about what I pick. Thank you.**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One

Boris Yeltsin, Mondler2017, sshott73,


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **There are a couple of things that I personally dislike about the later seasons and one of those is how they turned Joey into an idiot so I'm going to be basing Joey's intelligence on the earlier seasons (like when he bought one encyclopedia and then everyone else talked about other things. It's just a personal preference of mine.

**Chapter Three**

Hours later, Monica was both distraught and pissed off that she couldn't be with her husband. She had at least had a chance to see him…through a window. He was still in critical condition with the doctor telling her that he could die that night or he could be extremely lucky and pull through the night. If he did manage to survive then his chances of waking up were doubled. Still, extremely low to very low wasn't a comforting thought.

Chandler was hooked up to multiple devices which, although Ross had tried to explain to her, she hadn't been able to hear him. They had shaved part of his head and there was a scar there from where they had obviously done surgical work. He was also hooked up to a respirator which was 'breathing for him'. She kept hearing his voice though, kept hearing some of the jokes that he would make. It was as if his spirit were standing behind her commenting on the event but she didn't want to let herself believe that. In movies like this where the spirit separated from the body, it meant that the DNR order was clear.

"_You know, I don't think that I would pull it right away. I mean, I know there's people who could use it but I'd be a little more selfish than that" _

Monica knew that he hadn't signed one. He had always said that there were multiple ways of analyzing the situation and although he didn't want to be in a catatonic state where people had to care for him, he had said that if there was a chance of him waking then he might want that. Monica _had_ to believe that there was a chance.

She broke down again, feeling extremely weak and felt Ross hug her. She felt guilty that she had left Rachel with the kids. She knew that her best female friend didn't really know how to explain things. She knew that she had Emma to look after as well. She'd have to thank her for doing that and she knew soon she'd have to leave the hospital to return to Erica and Jack.

"It's okay." Ross told her, hating to see his strong and independent sister in such a condition. "I'm sure they'll let us see him again soon. You know how much he loves you. He'd do anything for you, so of course he's going to fight for you."

"I just wish that I could do something, you know," Monica told him. "I mean, I've always been good at _doing _things. If the doctors gave me clear instructions on how to help him. I mean, I could follow instructions. I am great at following instructions. I mean, what is it? I have to know how to place a few needles into his body? I can do that. They just have to show me a picture, a clear diagram, they can do that."

"Apart from they can't…they already said that there's a risk of infection or complications if you approach him. Sometimes you just have to be the one to be taken care of. You can't always be the hostess," he said as he held her lovingly in his arms. He felt her tears against his chest.

"I am _always_ the hostess," she said before hearing hurried steps towards them. She looked up to see the distraught actor staring at her wide eyed. Joey had always cared about his looks so much that he kept a comb in his back pocket at all times but now he looked like a wreck. It was obvious that he had been crying and he looked terrified. He also looked out of breath.

"How is he?" Joey asked, panting. "I tried to come here as soon as possible. Damn those airlines for not providing proper flights." Ross stared at him. His hair looked like he had just rolled out of bed, as if he had run his hands through it a hundred times. He was shaking with puffy, red eyes. He had missed a button on his shirt and had a backpack thrown over his shoulder with one of the zips undone.

Monica looked up at him before getting to her feet. She stumbled but he caught her. Holding her to him before turning to Ross. Monica being this distraught made his stomach churn and he knew that it had to be terrible for someone so strong to turn so weak. "He's not…well…" she said before hearing the doctor approach them again.

"You can see him again if you wish," the doctor said after addressing Monica and she turned but held onto Joey's hand as he looked at the doctor. "You play Dr. Drake Ramoray," he said as he pointed at Joey who honestly didn't give a damn about his fame. This was the first time he hadn't felt pleased and proud someone recognized him. "As someone who plays a neurosurgeon you must know how much Mr. Bing is facing danger."

Joey opened his mouth and then closed it. He was too weak to explain that he just remembered his lines each week. He didn't know what any of them actually meant. He knew that he wasn't alone in that knowledge but no one was explaining that to the doctor.

"Ms. Geller, I can allow for you and one other person to come with me but…" the doctor hesitated.

"I'll stay here," Ross offered knowing that Joey probably wouldn't cope very well if he was left behind. Looking at him he must have jumped on whatever plane was leaving from the airport the soonest. Monica held his hand as they were led down the hallway and this time into the room where he was. Seeing the medical equipment, Joey froze. Despite this feeling a lot different from when he was on set, he was reminded of the scenes when he couldn't save patients and those were only actors. He had no possible way of helping his best friend.

Monica dropped his hand as he stood fixed in the doorway and she walked over to her husband. She very gently placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. He had done what he could to protect Jack. He had acted out of the need to make sure their son wasn't hurt or killed. She kept her hand on his shoulder and turned to the doctor. "Can he hear us?" she asked as she looked at the scar on his head. She wouldn't know how to explain this to a five-year-old.

"There have been studies that show responses to people's voices in some situations," the doctor informed them. "Whether that information registers or not is hard to tell."

Joey shivered. He hadn't ever imagined he would see his friend like this and it haunted him. He had told Chandler that they were like brothers, that he would save him instead of Ross. He had given him a bite of what he had considered the world's greatest sandwich and since he didn't like to share food, that was very significant coming from him. "Do you know the prognosis? You know, when he'll wake up?" he asked before Monica did, she was already crying onto Chandler's chest wanting to feel his breathing.

"Not in that much detail, however, compared to a lot of victims who have had the same sort of wound, Mr. Bing is recovering better than we could have hoped. I can't guarantee it but there is a likely chance that he will be in a coma for at least a week but he will hopefully, unless there are other complications, survive the night. Again, I can't make any guarantees. When he wakes up, and I do hope that it is a when, we don't know about any complications. From similar cases, there will most likely be some damage to his brain."

Monica nodded along with this, she very gently pushed her fingers through the strands of hair that weren't shaved off. He was the love of her life. She had managed to survive her break up with Richard even though that felt that she was in hell but she only knew she would survive this for the sake of her…their children. Joey nodded along, taking the information in. He didn't really know what those complications were but he wasn't as dumb as people thought he was.

"The complications for his survival," Monica said as she managed to stop crying for long enough to ask this. "He has…I don't think it's happened for a few years now, I think that I would have known, but in the past he _was_ a smoker. Will that cause further damage?"

"Only where his lungs are concerned, that means that we'll have to keep him on the respirator for a bit longer than we would otherwise but I don't think that would cause any complications with his brain," the doctor explained and Monica nodded, she clutched to his hand.

"You've always been so strong for us. I know that you consider yourself as not strong enough but you have been. You have strength and love that you're not aware of. I'm here. I'm not leaving you, okay? Even when I'm not physically here, my heart is with you. You've just got to fight for those who love you, who you love. You're stronger than you believe and I love you. I can't stop myself from loving you," she sobbed and Joey finally walked over despite his fear of accepting the situation.

"He might call himself a coward at times but you're right, Mon, he _is_ stronger than he gives himself credit for," he attempted to comfort her. With the hand that wasn't holding onto her husband's, Monica reached back and squeezed Joey's.

"Thank you," she whispered and he just gave her a silent nod.

CBMGCBMG

Three months later and the only change was that Chandler, who had been transferred to a New York hospital, was only slightly stronger than before. He hadn't woken up but he had been able to be transferred from Florida to New York. That happened a month ago and it brought Monica a lot of relief to have him close to her. She had been in turmoil for so long not being near him but now she could see him every day, hold his hand, remind him how thankful she was for him fighting for her, tell him that she loved him.

She looked up at the clock as she stood in the kitchen. It was ten minutes until six, visiting hours began at six thirty. She stood in the middle of her kitchen and said loudly, as she did every day at this time, "Does anyone need anything before I leave for the day?" she asked as she looked at the rest of the kitchen staff. She hated not being here, not being able to taste everything, not being able to control the restaurant but she wanted to be with the love of her life. That was more important to her.

"Do you want to taste the chicken?" one of the chef's asked and Monica stared at her. This chef had a lot of experience despite being new to the kitchen and although Monica always wanted to taste most of the dishes, when it was at this point in the day she didn't. Some days she would return to the kitchen, some days she wouldn't.

"Trust yourself, if I need to taste your chicken then you have no business being a chef," she said rather sternly before looking down. "I'm sorry. I apologize for being harsh but I'd like to leave as soon as possible."

"We'll be fine," her sous chef told her, "I'll taste the chicken," he said and Monica nodded.

"Anyone else?" she asked as she looked around and when nobody answered, she quickly went to the staff bathroom to change. She didn't want to visit him in the same clothes which she worked in. She wanted to dress nicely for him in the clothes that he liked. She always hoped that that day would be the day he woke up. It hadn't happened so far.

As she made sure that she had everything, Monica grabbed a new bouquet of flowers and dashed out, making her way to her car. New York traffic was terrible but she needed to get there as soon as she could. As she climbed into the car, she checked her reflection. She shivered a little, trying her best not to cry.

He didn't need for her to cry.

As she drove there, she listened to the playlist on her phone that reminded her of him. It had some of the music from their wedding as well as music that they had danced to, music that had special meaning to her…to them. Sometimes she would still feel him beside her but then she would see him still in the hospital and as she went to bed, she knew that she was alone.

Both of his parents came to see him regularly. His father was more emotional than his mother but it was very good that they both were there to support him. Still, if he didn't wake up soon, she might lose her mind. The car journey always seemed to take so long but when she finally did reach the Manhattan hospital, she took the flowers with her and went into the hospital. She knew the path to his hospital room with her eyes closed.

As she entered, she realized that little had changed but went over to the vase of flowers, she smiled as she noticed that the water level was still quite high. She took out the ones from before and put in the new ones, spreading them out in the vase and trying to make them look attractive. Of course she had put down a large placemat under the vase with a coaster resting between them. "The sunflowers have started to become in season," she commented. "I remember the smile you had when Erica called them the happy flower. I'll bring the kids this weekend."

She walked over to her husband and placed a hand next to the heavy stubble on his face and the developing beard. She had stopped shaving him now thinking that the facial hair was keeping his cheeks warm or maybe she was deluding herself. She kissed his forehead lovingly before wiping away some of her tears before they fell.

"I promise to bring the kids to visit this weekend," she told him before sitting down and holding his hand. She brought it to her lips before starting to cry. After sitting there a moment longer, she reached out for a book. It wasn't an Archie comic or even the Velveteen Rabbit – she had conflicting feelings about that book knowing the importance to Kathy – still it was something she thought that he would enjoy.

She continued reading as she held his hand, taking a look over at him every so often and as she drew to the end of a chapter, she placed a bookmark at the spot and put it to the side. She would continue reading to him the next day. Maybe if she finished this book, like she had finished the others, he would wake up.

The scans on his brain hadn't put her in a positive mood. There was some damage there but the doctors had insisted that they wouldn't know the extent of the damage until he were to wake up. She had even started watching the past seasons of 'Days of Our Lives' in case that gave her any clue. Still, whatever had happened to him, she loved him, she would always love him. She would always be the one responsible for cutting off the tip of his toe but she would also always love him.

She sat with him a little more before hearing someone familiar cough from the doorway.

"I thought that I recognized your voice," she heard and she shivered, her body tensing and she closed her eyes feeling the deep pain before looking back at the man who used to be her special someone. "Hi. How's he doing?"

"You shouldn't be here," Monica said as she thought about how threatened Chandler always had felt by him. It had stopped when they had married but he was defenseless here, he couldn't argue against him being here. "He's surviving. I'm always hopeful that he'll wake up to the sound of my voice but…obviously it hasn't happened yet."

"How about we go get a coffee and talk…as friends," Richard suggested and Monica looked back at her husband.

"No," she said almost breaking, "he wouldn't like it."

"Would _you _like to?" Richard asked again and Monica shifted. It would only be as friends and she wanted to talk to someone who understood her but was that selfish of her. He was seeing someone else, right? She bowed her head, letting the tears slide down her cheeks. She felt terrible about wanting to go with him. Still, his recording over their sex tape meant that he wasn't trying to ask her for anything romantic. They had a special unbreakable bond but -

"He'll never have to know. I certainly won't tell him," Richard laughed and Monica felt a chill through the room. He wasn't waking up. His condition seemed stable but he remained in a coma. She nodded, even though she came into this hospital every day and did the same routine, sometimes changing his clothes or giving him a sponge bath, she felt selfish for wanting to reach out for someone when she needed to.

"O-Okay," she choked before kissing his forehead again. "Sweetheart, I'll be back tomorrow, okay? Continue fighting for us. I love you," she said as she placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you," she repeated before feeling the tears slide down her cheeks and nodded as she looked back at her ex. She wasn't betraying him, was she?

**End of Chapter Three**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two

MaddisonBea, Oldreruns


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **It may be a couple of weeks until I update with Chapter Five but I got really inspired to write this and I know many wanted to see the ending to this chapter

**Chapter Four**

It had taken a couple of phone calls but finally Monica had accepted the idea of going out for a coffee with her ex-boyfriend. Despite her want to make sure that the restaurant always delivered superior food, they didn't need her to be there as much as they once did. The chefs who worked for her were all well-trained, well-educated, seasoned. It wasn't as if she had to teach them how to make sauces, she just needed for them to follow her recipe and adapt to their high skills.

The twins were already asleep in their beds and although she was a little curious about the candles that Phoebe was burning in order to bring the family good luck, she felt that letting her friend handle this tragedy in her own way was best. She'd clear up whatever she had to when she returned. Sure, Chandler and Ross always knew her rules and how she liked to run a household but she had to be a little more lenient. Having two young kids had helped her with that.

So when she had cleared her schedule and she still sat down with her ex, she wondered why it felt so painful to do it. She wasn't betraying her husband just by having a coffee with an ex-boyfriend, a family friend. He would understand that she just needed to speak to someone who could understand her.

"So, how long have you been going to the hospital? I mean, I saw the reports. I thought about calling but I didn't think that my presence in tha-" Richard started and Monica nodded. If something had happened to Chandler's brain and he had felt nervous, intimidated, anxious, or any number of negative emotions, this man would certainly not help him.

"It was a wise decision. I don't think he ever didn't respect you but he knew how important you once were to me, he's always had a way of doubting himself and even when he hasn't, he talks himself into doubting himself. Still, that's what makes him adorable, it's one of the reasons why I love him so much." Monica smiled to herself as she thought about all the times she had spent with him. There was the sneaking around, the time spent living together after Vegas, planning their wedding, choosing to adopt and going through the adoption process, raising their kids together, so many other times. It was hard being here, acting without him.

"You really do love him, don't you," Richard said and Monica picked up her coffee, drinking it slowly. She attempted not to cry. Half the time when she spoke about her husband, the love of her life, she would end up crying. "I read somewhere that if someone is shot in the head there's what, a five percent chance of survival?"

"I…don't know, something like that, I think." The executive chef took another deep breath in as she tried to focus on the coffee in front of her. Who cared if it kept her up? Having half of the bed empty haunted her anyway. She had even taken to wearing one of his button-up shirts to bed to have something of his to hold onto.

"I read somewhere that for those who do survive, the risks that come with it are…they're terrible. I mean, you read about these boxers who aren't even shot in the head but get into these fights, not to mention all of the damage that football play-" Monica shivered as she stared at him. Why was he bringing this all up as if she hadn't immediately done all the research that she could on it. Didn't he know her at all? Didn't he think that she had a handful of color-coded folders to do with brain injuries as well as treatment plans, medications, information on how to help in the event of a seizure which was likely, how to help someone with depression, the possibility of speech or memory loss. She even had a file that had papers to tell her which folder each piece of information was in. What she didn't know were the answers to what he would wake up to or when he would finally wake up.

"Can we not discuss this? How about we talk about you," she said as she attempted to change the subject to anything other than Chandler's condition which each of her friends had spoken to her about at different times and it always upset her…well, no, she could speak to Rachel about it who would try to understand, Ross would comfort her in a physical way by coming over if she said she needed him and holding her, Phoebe would talk about candles, incense, protection charms in her own way of helping, and Joey would remind her of important memories. She could speak to them about him. He would want them each to be able to comfort her but being out here with this man, she didn't feel comfortable airing all the pain and heartache she was going through.

"How are you doing? Are you still pra-"

"I mean, let me just say this and I won't say anything more because I don't want to upset you but, I've heard the bad side to these sort of cases. There are always stories of these football stars, promising guys too, getting hurt so much that they might even have to go into assisted living due to the damage that they've ta-"

Monica stood. She knew that coffee would be a bad idea. She had wanted to distract herself, take a moment for herself and have someone listen to her who didn't have a connection to her husband as well. She should have followed Rachel's suggestion and gone to see a therapist to talk to them despite how Ross said that their friends could provide more help than most New York therapists.

"I'm sorry," she said as she removed some cash from her wallet, "I have to go."

"I'm not seeing anyone right now, in case that makes a difference," Richard blurted out and Monica stared at him, her eyes were wide and she looked away from him. There weren't many people here but there were people sneaking glances at them.

"I love him. I don't know who you think I am but I'm not going to turn my back on him. He's been one of my closest friends for years and yes, he has his faults but he admits to them. The man I married, I knew for years before I entered a relationship with him, before I got engaged to him and married him and maybe…maybe that man is gone but I know he'll do anything in his power to get better because I matter to him. So, he might be childish. He might be clumsy and he might forget how I like the magazines to be spread out on the coffee table, or in what order I like laundry folded, or even which flower vase is for the short cut or the long cut ones but he loves me. If I were in his place, he would be doing everything he could to help me feel better. Without conditions," she said as she shivered, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. "I love him unconditionally because I know that's how he loves me."

Without another word, the strong and independent woman stepped out of the coffee shop. She felt like the earth beneath her feet would swallow her up. Chandler wasn't dead yet and the doctors had said that he was getting stronger each week. Still, they had also mentioned things like a permanent disability, that it might take a year or more for him to recover to the condition he was before he was shot, how she might be able to get money from the government because he would no longer be able to work.

Yes, the doctors had said all of that but what did one year, five years, matter if he was still alive and he was still fighting to improve. She could have already lost a large part of him but she still felt a connection to him. She would have felt this condition were he to have had a stroke and suffered similar injuries, why would she change her mind over him being shot.

She felt alone but she could return to Jack and Erica and hold them in her arms and promise the two of them how loved they were. She just didn't want to feel so lonely any longer.

MGCBMGCB

Somehow, even though she had called Rachel that night and explained everything about the situation with Richard, Monica hadn't felt that her friend blamed her for it. Instead, Rachel had suggested that the two of them take the day off from work and go out shopping. Having heard that his sister needed some support and comfort, Ross had said that he would treat them to food. When food and a chance to get-together had been brought up, Joey had cleared his schedule. That meant that the four of them would meet together to have lunch. It would be good to have family nearby and since it was a weekday, that meant that their kids could attend school without the need for a sitter.

Seeing the restlessness and exhaustion in her friend, Rachel had done her best to coax Monica into really shopping. There was a cute jacket, pair of boots that were very comfortable to wear and on sale, and a purse that would go with many of her outfits. It was refreshing for the once-cheerleader to use her expertise to help the friend who had taken her in when nothing seemed to be going right.

As they approached the restaurant, Monica looked up to see Joey standing there uncomfortably. "What is it?" she asked looking to Rachel nervously. Something had to have gone wrong. These days it was very unusual for everything to stay safe and calm. Life wasn't kind to her these days.

"Nothing's wrong," Joey said before Ross interrupted him.

"No, actually it's a good thing. We're going to have two more people joining us," he said before looking to Joey. "We were able to get Phoebe on board and she's bringing Mike so it'll be the six, six of us," he said and he saw Monica freeze as she stared at him.

"It's not saying that just because there are six of us that -" Joey said and Monica looked at them as she realized what they were saying and how they had made the connection. For years it had always been the six of them, three men and three women and whoever else they were dating. Reservations were made for six. Bills were split six ways. There were six invites to group events.

"Yes, I know," Monica smiled weakly. "It'll be good to see them," she said as she kept thinking about six people. Whenever fate had been kind enough to them, it had always been at least seven people but this wasn't even the original six.

"And you're okay with the number," Ross asked cautiously and Monica nodded. She was already getting used to not having her husband with her. She would at least have Joey. She wouldn't be the only one who was single at the table, no…she wasn't single. She wasn't even separated from her husband, he just physically couldn't be with her. "If it's uncomfortable I'll just…I can g-" he said but Monica's phone rang. She pulled it out before her eyes widened and she took a deep breath in. This was scary. It almost felt ominous.

"What is it?" Joey asked as he looked to her.

"The hospital, I'm sorry, I have to take this," she said as she took a few steps away. She spoke quietly so that her friends wouldn't be able to hear her conversation. She sobbed loudly as they all watched her, wanting to hear what was going on but also trying to keep a respectable distance. "Thank you for letting me know." She said before hanging up and wrapped her arms around her. She sank down into a squat unable to stand any longer and the three others turned to look at each other.

"Mon, are you? Is everything okay?" Rachel asked as she quickly handed her husband the shopping bags. Rachel got down next to her and put her hand on the other woman's back. "Is he?" she dared to ask and then saw Monica pushing her tears away and smiling. The chef laughed weakly, putting her hand over her mouth to keep herself from sobbing too loudly.

"They say that he gained consciousness. It was about a minute, his eyes weren't open but he was moving, they say that he tried to call for me. I'm sorry I have to -" she said feeling the world around her like a complete blur. Joey moved forwards.

"Come on, I'll drive you there," he said, he was unable to keep the excitement out of his voice and Monica hugged her brother and then the other brunette before following Joey to the parking garage.

"Call us!" Rachel shouted after them before she looked at Ross who had a complicated expression. "What is it? You wanted to be the one to drive her there? You wanted to be there when he finally woke up? Can't we just be happy that our friend is awake and that he pulled through what would probably be considered fatal?"

Ross nodded but his expression was still showing his conflict. "I know, Rach. You have no idea how relieved I am that he's made that amazing turn of progress but did you even listen to what Mon said to us."

"That he gained consciousness and was moving, that's a really good thing and I'm sure his eyes will open. Sometimes when you're sleeping you don't open your ey-" she commented but saw Ross's confusion.

"What did she mean he _tried _to call for her?" he asked and Rachel sighed.

"That he called for her and that she wasn't there, he's probably delirious, might not even realize he's at the hospital. I mean, hopefully if something ever happened to you, which don't you dare let anything happen to you because my heart would be extremely hard to fix, you'd call for me." Rachel looked at him wondering if Ross was over analyzing the situation. He had unfortunately passed that trait onto Emma and although Rachel loved her own impulsivity at times, she knew that this was a way they could balance one another out.

"I hope so," Ross admitted.

He didn't think that was right though. From what he had learned from the doctors and from Monica, the injury to his long-time friend's brain was mainly concentrated on the frontal lobe of the left side which was one area which controlled language. What if that was only one of the complications Chandler would have to endure?

**End of Chapter Four**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three

Dylan, Oldreruns

Also thank you to Melissa Richards1 who reviewed Chapter One

**AN: **I also apologize for the total lack of Phoebe in this fic. Believe it or not I actually identify most with her and get her on all of the quizzes I take. I actually even cosplayed _as_ Phoebe when I was much younger as I grew up when the show was airing. (Although I didn't start really watching it until Season Five aired in the UK although my mum watched from Season Three. I also think it was because I started watching during Season Five (I was about ten when I saw it) that I became such a fan of Monica and Chandler. (( some of my earliest fanfics were about that time too and they were kind of awful ))


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Joey looked up at Monica as they waited inside Chandler's room for him to wake up again. He had gone back to sleep but the doctor had told them that his brain still needed a lot of rest. Still, he had woken up when they had all thought that he might not. "Mon, you should sit."

"Probably," Monica nodded as she paced back and forth. She reached up to take a strand of her hair and started curling it around her finger. She shook her head before looking back to the heart monitor. The beeps were strong, the EKG was stable. She had done some research on it herself to find out how they _should_ look and she had had the doctor explain that to her as well.

"Moni'a" a slurred voice said and they both turned to look at the man who was still in the bed. Was he awake?

"Chan?" Joey asked as he stood, his eyes widening. He saw Monica reach out for his hand and sit down next to him, brushing her tears away as she tried to steady her own breaths.

"Chandler?" she asked as she pushed his hair back, "Sweetheart, are you awake?" she said before seeing his eyes open. She cried again out of relief. She had had some fears that he would never wake up for her and she would be alone with their children. He was awake. "Hi."

Chandler smiled to her before putting his hand to his head, he cringed showing that he was in pain but remained silent. It wasn't like him not to be making some kind of joke or trying to break the tension. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome back," she said and he smiled to her, holding onto the hand that had her wedding ring. She sniffed again as she tried to relax but her tears were still there out of relief. She hadn't wanted to cry but Chandler was not only her amazing husband, he was her best friend, he was the father to their children. "Honey, if you still are feeling sleepy then it's okay to go back to sleep. Thank you for waking up for me. I love you so much."

"Mon." he said slowly and with a slight slur to his speech. He opened his mouth as if to say more but the words didn't come out. He closed his eyes again and it wasn't long before he had fallen asleep again. Monica tried again to brush her tears away. She was stronger than this. She could be stronger for him. She could do it. Tonight she would have something good to tell the twins about their father. Soon they would even be able to see him and not before long, she would be able to bring him home.

"Do you think he knew I was here?" Joey asked and Monica looked to him and her relief turned to sympathy. "I mean, it's cool. It's just good that he woke up. He doesn't need to necessarily know that I'm here, you know, It's what it is."

"Joey," Monica said as she very gently placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "You saw, he was only awake for a moment and I'm sure that he'll be awake longer soon but you should know what you mean to him. He really would have appreciated you being here. I wish they sold hotdogs or sandwiches or pizza at this time of night."

"Hey, I don't need food to be happy," Joey argued before shrugging. "I mean, it helps. Food definitely helps but I want to support Chan here. I mean, I feel like I'm not supposed to leave. You guys are like family to me."

Monica smiled, "we both feel the same way," she said as she held to Chandler's hand and kissed his wedding ring. She smiled as she started to think about ways in which she could organize all of the different information that the doctors had given her. Then there were the plans which she could make for Chandler to recover and she could even set smaller goals to motivate him. This might involve a lot of binders and colored tabs and even a plethora of highlighters to get it all organized.

"You want me to go and tell the doctor that he woke up for a moment?" Joey offered and Monica didn't even need to reply to have the actor go out to the hallway in search for the practitioner.

MGCBMGCBMGCB

The night was starting to get late and Joey kept checking his phone to find out what time it was. Soon visiting hours would definitely be over and he didn't want to go but he also couldn't imagine Monica leaving until he woke up again and for a longer time the next time. "You know, at least there's no more coma," Joey said and Monica paused. "Wait, there is no more, right?" he asked before beginning to snap his fingers as if to try to rouse Chandler.

Monica placed her hand on his wrist and shook her head. As much as _she_ wanted to figure out a way to get him up, she understood that he needed to rest. He had been shot, of course he needed to build his strength up. "Don't. It's not impossible but all we can do is hope for the best," she said before her eyes widened and the doctor came into the room.

"I'm sorry," he said as he turned to Joey. "Visiting hours are over so I will -"

"We're not going," Joey said as he stood up and Monica pushed some hair behind her ear again and held to Chandler's hand trying not to cry. "I mean, you tell us that our friend is alive after he's been in a coma for like forever and now you want to separate a wife from a husband she's been separated from for -"

"I can actually have her stay but it will only be one person. I'm sure that we'll be able to give you any information on Mr. Bing's care that we are authorized to tell you on your next visit," he said and Joey looked between him and Monica who had closed her eyes out of relief.

"So, she can stay?" Joey asked and when the doctor nodded, he looked over at his friends. "Okay. That's okay then," he said before going to place a hand on Monica's shoulder. "Have a good night, Mon. Take care of him okay. You think you can call if -"

"I'll keep you updated on his condition," she promised before taking another deep breath in. She knew how painful it would be to walk away from this room, she couldn't have done it and was feeling that her feelings were acknowledged by her being able to stay. Still, the two guys were like brothers to one another. Nobody wanted to leave their brother.

Joey came over to Monica and wrapped her up in a hug from behind. "Thanks, Mon." Joey took a deep breath in before smiling at them and stepped out of the hospital. He sighed before walking out to see Ross sitting there. Why he hadn't come in was a surprise to the actor.

"Hey," he said with a weak smile and Ross immediately stood.

"How is he? Did you see him? Talk to him?" he asked and Joey looked towards the hospital. He sighed not truly knowing what to say.

"I think he's okay," Joey told the paleontologist. "He woke up for a minute or two, called out for Monica. It was as if I wasn't even in that room and I'm telling you, most people notice when _I'm_ in the room," he attempted to joke to stop his anxiety. He wanted Chandler to be okay more than anything right now but he didn't really know what the situation was.

"You think or you know or you believe or -" Ross said and Joey sighed. He knew better than to let his frustration get to him. Ross was just concerned about their friend and Ross had known Chandler the longest. The two had been in college together, they had been roommates before Joey had even applied for the roommate position.

"I believe," Joey shrugged. "Look, Ross, he was only awake for like a minute tops, it's not much to take in. Can't you be happy that he's alive and he's called for Monica? I am. Chandler got badly injured because he was attempting to protect his son, that's something that no one can take away from him."

Ross shook his head, "Joe, I wasn't saying that it's not an achievement for him to wake up. I care about him. I was there that day and if I had…I don't know…done something then maybe I could have prevented it."

Joey looked down. "I don't think that Monica's in the right place to do so but I'm going to call his folks, make sure that both of them know that he's woken up."

"I'll help with that," Ross offered, "How about I call his mother and you call his father."

"I bet you'd like that mother-kisser," Joey said as a joke but then nodded. "I'd appreciate the help but how about I'm the one who calls his mother and then you can call his father. Whatever you do though, don't invite him - her - whoever and their new husband. Do you call them a woman?"

"He seems to identify as one…" Ross laughed and Joey didn't respond. It was an important thing that his parents knew but more importantly it was good that Monica knew. He just wished the best for his friend. Chandler truly was more than a friend to him, he was like the brother that he never had and he only wanted positive things for him. He had the feeling that it would still be a difficult recovery process but he had taken the first step in opening his eyes.

MGCBMGCBMGCB

Monica gripped Chandler's hand as the doctor spoke to them, for some reason, Chandler, who could be quite serious when it was needed from him, was losing focus. Monica was listening and taking notes on his condition but Chandler just couldn't maintain focus on what the doctor was saying. It was important what the doctor was saying to them regarding his treatment.

"So, I think the best medicine for this would be this one," the doctor said before handing Monica a booklet about a drug. Monica looked to her husband again. He was still unable to pay attention. That didn't seem like him…okay, when he had fallen asleep and got transferred to Tulsa then he had lost attention or fallen asleep but this was important to both of them.

"Honey," Monica asked as she gazed up at him. "Are you feeling okay?" she reached out to take his hand in her own and squeezed it supportively.

"Mo'on, I can'…I..it's…har' to…" Chandler said starting sentences and not finishing them. Was that something that had happened that was caused by the injuries he had sustained. She nodded.

"Okay. I'll continue taking notes, let me know if you need anything," she told him. Chandler had a slightly slurred manner of speaking now that was a bit upsetting to her but at least he was attempting to talk with her. Things could have been a lot worse. She didn't know how this would affect his advertising work but they had enough savings for him to take leave for some time. Hopefully soon he'd recover and be able to go back to work again, hopefully things would go back to normal.

"Are you up for visi-" Monica said before seeing him lose concentration again. She snapped her fingers to get him to concentrate on her, the doctor seemed to disapprove of this method. "Honey, do you think you could see people today?" she asked and Chandler stared at her blankly.

"Sor'y, I…the ques'…I…" he apologized and Monica squeezed his hand. Maybe he wasn't ready for more stress right now but hopefully soon he would be okay.

**End of Chapter Five**

**Thank you for reading**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four

Nesele Toulouse, Oldreruns


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Monica felt sad as she returned from the hospital. There were definitely some problems with Chandler but she wasn't ready to admit to them. Maybe she hadn't laughed at some of his jokes, maybe she had even called some of them stupid but that was a huge part of his personality. He was intelligent, observant, witty, carefree. Maybe that carefree nature had changed over the years as he lost his fear of commitment but this was all part of the good and less good parts of Chandler Bing. The man in the hospital had been Chandler but as if he were missing a huge chunk of himself. He was finding it hard to concentrate, finding it hard to focus, finding it hard to respond. It wasn't as if he had lost the ability to speak or to understand but he wasn't present. Well, maybe that would change in a few days or few weeks.

She sighed as she pushed her back against the door and sank down onto the ground, resting her forehead on her arm. She heard a set of footsteps approach her and she looked up with a half-smile. She wiped her arm across her face to catch her tears and tried to gather herself.

"Mon?" Ross asked as he sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?" he said as she closed her eyes and allowed her brother to comfort her. She sighed as she squeezed his hand. "You don't have t-"

"How are Jack and Erica?" Monica asked trying to change the topic of conversation. She loved their children and that was what she wanted to talk to Ross about. He had been taking care of his niece and nephew. He kissed her shoulder.

"They are just fine, sleeping. I let them watch some cartoons before bed," he said and Monica grabbed his hand.

"Did you correct the -" Monica asked and Ross laughed as he nodded.

"It's my own fault for suggesting watching The Flintstones when I saw it. I mean, that show always triggers something in me. It might be a classic and maybe before a lot of the paleontological studies were done but I just don't think that they chose the right dinosaurs for the functions that they made. I mean, there are other dinosaurs who would be better at construction work. If you look at the anatomy of -" Ross started to trail off but he was surprised when Monica nodded silently and clutched to his shirt. He hadn't experienced that since she was a little girl. "Mon…"

"You can keep talking, I'm listening," she told him. "Jack and Erica are asleep. I'll see them when they wake up. I'll tell them that their father's awake and that hopefully they can see him soon…after he's recovered a bit."

"So…he's still not able to see them?" Ross asked her and Monica remained silent.

"Thank you for taking care of them," she told him once again changing the subject. Ross watched her and bit his top lip. He wanted to ask about how Chandler was doing, they had all been deeply concerned about him for months. Was his condition so bad that Monica didn't feel comfortable disclosing it even to their intimate group of friends?

"Of course," he replied, "You'd do the same for me and Rach."

"I'm too selfish," Monica finally told him. "I'm thinking about how much of him I've lost when I should be considering how lucky I am for how much of him I've kept." She shivered as she wrapped an arm around herself. "He would never intend to act the way that he is."

"How is he acting?" Ross finally asked but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Before Monica could answer, she took a step back and tried to gather herself and regain her composure. She took a deep breath in before unlocking the door and smiled softly as she saw her father-in-law there.

"Charl-Hele-Mr. Bing?" she asked as she gathered herself together. She pushed her hair behind her ear feeling exhausted but she wanted to be the good hostess she was known as.

"Dad is okay…of course, you wouldn't be the first to call me Daddy," the trans-woman said and Monica coughed. "Or…you know…Helena works, love."

Ross wrapped one arm around Monica's back and squeezed the top of her arm. He kissed her gently on the head but Monica stepped forwards to help her father-in-law with his…her luggage.

"Oh, darling. I can take care of those," Helena said as she waved a hand at the bag. "Now, I really do wonder how my boy is doing."

"He's awake," Monica replied as she wrapped her arms around herself now that she had stepped out of Ross's hold. "He's been speaking to me. Not really long conversations but….but we've talked. I think he's worse than even he thinks he is."

"So, he can talk, well that's a wonderful thing, right?" Helena asked and Monica looked to her brother. She nodded again as she noticed that Ross was trying to figure out Chandler's condition by what she was saying.

"I'll ask the doctor if you can see him tomorrow," the chef said before looking to Ross. "I'll take it from here, thank you for taking care of the twins. Come, I'll show you to where the guest room is."

"Don't worry, dear, I know exactly where to go," Chandler's father said before walking forwards, blowing a kiss to her and giving a small wave. Monica shook her head as she watched her go. Ross moved closer when the two of them were alone again.

"Just tell me one thing about his condition," Ross requested and Monica stared at him with tears in her eyes, she was usually the stronger one out of the two of them. "Will he need help in the coming months?"

"People always need support," Monica replied as she turned away. "That's what friends are -"

"You know what I'm asking," Ross said in a calm manner.

"Yes," Monica nodded as she tried not to carry her sadness in her voice, "Yes, I believe that he will."

MGCBMGCB

Joey had checked with both the hospital and with Monica and they had decided that he would be the first person outside of his family to see him. All four of their long-time friends wanted to see him but everyone knew how strong the relationship was between Chandler and Joey. Moving hadn't changed the fact that they were like brothers to one another. Joey hadn't known what to bring with him so had decided to pick up some Sports Illustrated magazines. At least there were pictures in there that might help. Flowers just didn't seem like his style and he would have brought food but he didn't know what dietary restrictions there were.

He followed the doctor into the room and grinned as he saw his friend awake. "Hey, man," he said as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. He turned. "Damn it," he whispered to himself. He had told himself not to cry, he had gone into a rather long lecture to himself but he had failed anyway. It was almost too great to see him back there. "Sorry about being such a baby, but it's really great to see you awake."

"It's…." Chandler said in a weak voice and Joey waited for him to respond, there was a long pause and Joey turned to his best friend to see that he was looking at him confused. "Yo-u're….Jer'my?" he asked and Joey paused before paling.

"What?" he asked as he took a couple of steps forwards. He turned to the doctor in shock. "Come on, man," he said as he took a step towards his best friend and Chandler pulled back staring at Joey as if he were going to hurt him. Joey saw this and took a couple of steps back.

"Okay, okay, I won't approach you," he said as he felt himself completely shaken up inside. Of all their friends, Chandler always had mattered the most to him. They had owned pets together, they had been bracelet buddies, they had been more than best friends, he had given Chandler a bite of the best meatball sub he had ever eaten. Now it was as if he were a stranger to his best friend.

"His memory might lapse a little," the doctor said and Joey bowed his head but only so he could roll his eyes without anyone seeing. "It's part of the recovery process."

"He remembers Monica…" Joey whispered. "He should remember me too."

"There are strong feelings binding him and Monica," the doctor said in a hushed tone and Joey felt a stab at his heart. Strong feelings? There were strong feelings between the two of them. It was only because they were both straight men that they hadn't felt anything other than kinship to one another. He hated to admit it but if he or Chandler had ever been female, he wasn't sure what would have happened but the fact that there were men built their bromance. That was all it was, the feeling of being someone else's brother.

There was a silence and as Joey turned to leave the room, he heard Chandler's weak voice.

"Joe?" he asked and Joey turned around, he had trouble keeping the relief and happiness off of his face. He nodded. "Whe—re you….goi'ng?"

"Nowhere," Joey said as he approached Chandler again. "Wh-why did you…" he paused as he heard his voice break. He knew that he had to remain calm but the pain of Chandler not really knowing him and then having that replaced with the relief of hearing his best friend say his name was too much to retain this calm. "You think that I could really leave you?" he saw Chandler rub his forehead. He hesitated. "How are you feeling?"

"Confu'-Wea'…" he said in response and Joey smiled weakly. It didn't matter that his friend was having trouble speaking and finishing these words. He remembered him. He wanted to provide help in any way that he could. "You'—been…here?" he asked and Joey laughed weakly, a laugh filled with all of his emotions.

"Are you kidding me? I've been here as much as I could. Of course, Mon's been here the most but I couldn't leave you all alone. I doubt that if I was the one who was recovering from a head injury you'd have just abandoned me."

"Ne'er" Chandler said before groaning as he heard how his words were coming out. That would have to be something that was worked on during his recovery.

"You're like my brother," Joey reminded him. "You really gave me a scare, man." He saw Chandler's eyes glaze over a little and he looked off to the side as if finding it impossible to focus on their conversation. Joey took a deep breath as he sat down next to him, waiting for him to look at him again. Eventually the advertiser did causing the actor to smile. "I didn't know what to bring you so I have these," Joey said as he retrieved the magazines he had put down when entering the room and handed them to the hospitalized brunette.

Chandler laughed as he took them, "Su-ch a Jo-ey…gif'' he laughed as he smiled looking through the stack.

Joey nodded. He saw Chandler's focus shift again as he seemed to stare at the bed just beside the magazines. He had read something about this, the loss of concentration being possible but that had seemed more minor compared to some of the more serious complications of a head injury. He waited patiently. He had to have faith in Chandler just like Chandler had always had faith in him. A lot of people doubted his intelligence but he had still been able to purchase one book out of a set of encyclopedias and learned about the subjects enough to converse it. If patience and understanding were what were needed in exchange for him to have Chan in his life, that was a good trade.

**End of Chapter Six**

**Thank you for reading**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Five

ItsMeDylan, Oldreruns


End file.
